There鈥檚 always an inner steel to Bart贸k鈥檚 music: an intensity, even in softer moments, that keeps you alert, perhaps slightly on edge, wondering what鈥檚 around the corner.
The middle movement of this divertimento is a good example. A violin melody gently rises out of a drifting mist, then out of nowhere there are lightning strikes, sudden stabs of sound. After this point we鈥檙e unsettled, and the music seems to go between brooding and undisguised fury. It has the weight of a lament, but from someone angry at a life being robbed of them.
The outer movements are more in the 鈥榙ivertimento鈥�, entertaining mode, with their dance rhythms and general vitality. Listen out for how the first movement repeats many core rhythms (鈥榙iddle-dah鈥�, 鈥榬im-Ding鈥�), and how Bart贸k explores textures particular to a string orchestra.
When there is joy, it鈥檚 like skipping through brambles. It鈥檚 bracing, but not without thorniness.
The finale has playful moments as the solo 鈥榗oncertino鈥� group joust with the full ensemble, and at the there are fleeting parodies of a sentimental song and polka. The overall tone is hearty and forthright, bolstered by that trademark intensity. String players love to tear into it, making the most of the idiomatic, athletic writing.
